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13 April 2013

Good news which makes my weekend. In this very opportunity, I would like to thank my dearest readers in People's Republic of China! For the first time, they hike atop my reader's list which had been long time dominated by United States and Germany. Finally!

ps. I won't tell you if it's a daily, monthly, or all-time statistic. Well, definitely it's not all-time. Thank God it's not all-time.

We're talking a country populated by 1, 35 BILLION people here. So I wonder why it's just this time they reach the peak. But I'm so glad that they made it.

It also is my pleasure to congratulate them for having an elegant first lady, Mrs. Peng Liyuan, which in my opinion, looks really unpretentiously charming. A famous singer with a strong interest in art and culture, I believe that her sartorial taste is really genuine. Her support of local designers by wearing locals' creation in every occasion (when you actually can obtain literally anything), it is something that many other first ladies should look up to.

Excuse my Mandarin writing. It is hand-written, yes. If there's a mistake, let me know. Thanks to my class mates in high school (half of them are Chinesedescent, but Indonesian citizen, who talk Mandarin with their fellows and families) who taught me a bit about one of the most difficult languages on earth. I remember when I joined Mandarin class few years back, my teacher said something that broke my heart, will power, and determination to learn further. He said, "Mandarin language, or Chinese, is a language, that if you learn it the minute you born until your death, it's not even finished". It is indeed difficult, that there's unlimited possibility of combination of the alphabets, with its reading way is like the way you see a person (from the head, the body, then the arms and legs, if any). The alphabets are representations of nature; sky, trees, human body, river, and so on. The spirit and wisdom is good, that one has to keep learning and practicing as long as he's alive, but still. Not such a good encouragement, I suppose. That's why China with its super rich culture and history as old as time is never fully understood by outsiders. Which makes it even more interesting.

And for readers who follow me on twitter (sorry guys, I don't have account on Weibo) and tumblr, they know that I am in a project of writing a book, and gladly, that I already found a dear friend, a native Chinese, who would like to be the translator. So, my book will also be available in Chinese. It IS such a privilege and a pleasure.It is an excitement, and I'm looking forward to it.